


Holiday Genderswap/queer Newmann

by Harukaijuku



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Genderfluid, Genderfluid Character, Nonbinary Hermann Gottlieb, Nonbinary Newton Geiszler, Other, Queer Themes, Slurs, anyways it's a happy ending, but I promise it's not to offend, genderfluid hermann, hermann uses they/them pronouns, it's kinda important so im sorry for that, more like Ive had this thought before and it applied to your gender swap request kinda so, newt uses varying pronouns depending on the day but in this fic she/her, queer slurs mentioned, tendo is mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 06:45:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13242729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harukaijuku/pseuds/Harukaijuku
Summary: A usual argument turns more sour as Newt hits a sore spot.My contribution to the AO3 Pacrim holiday swap. Prompted with gender/sex swap, but since I'm not super comfortable with strict male/female gender swaps, I chose to take the bonus route of trans or nonbinary/demigirl Newt or Hermann. Hermann is genderfluid, and Newt is nonbinary/demigirl. Both identify on a spectrum, though Newt uses different pronouns depending on how she feels. Hermann uses they/them/their prounouns, so sorry if it's a bit confusing grammatically. I messed up on time zones and due dates, so I apologize for that. Unbeta'd.





	Holiday Genderswap/queer Newmann

**Author's Note:**

  * For [femvimes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/femvimes/gifts).



“You will absolutely not!” 

The shrill warning echoed through the empty halls of the Hong Kong Shatterdome basement floor. Despite her partner’s fit of anger, Newt didn’t move from where she stood, left hand still wrapped around part of Knifehead’s front right caudofemoralis longus, or what she approximated the tendon piece to be. She inspected the nail polish barely visible through her silicone-free gloves. It was a rouge kind of day. 

“Why not? I think it’s a fun way to show,” she waved her free hand in a vague thinking gesture. “Comradery.”

“It is quite the opposite, and you very well know that!” Hermann fumed, jumping the last rung of the ladder across their chalk boards and grabbing their cane. “I have asked you countless times to refrain from calling me any sort of debauchery of my name, especially so in public, and yet you continue to do so just to spite me. This is the last straw, Newton! I’m… I’m filing a complaint.”

Hermann stomped over to their holo-display, booting up the latent system with purpose.

“Aren’t you supposed to be a genius, Herms? I don’t know why you keep thinking those hacks up in Psych are ever going to change their minds.” Newt grinned at Hermann’s short foot tapping -a sure sign she’d hit another nerve. “Our great physicist is wasting their time,” she sang. 

Hermann didn’t turn around. Instead, they furiously began typing, attempting to reel in their boiling anger. Newt watched, but didn’t feel quite the satisfaction she hoped would come from winding Hermann up today. She chucked the tendon slice down onto the examination table and removed her gloves with obnoxious slaps. She felt vaguely like a cult-movie villain-- or hero, depending on who you asked-- as she addressed Hermann once again.

“Yanno, for someone who insists on formalities, you sure don’t have a problem with insulting me in front of others. It isn’t that big a deal for me to call you by a nickname.” 

Hermann brashly swerved their chair to face Newt, who was now sitting on Hermann’s desk. Annoying prick. “My preference ‘isn’t that big a deal’, Newton?” Hermann was shaking with anger. They pointed an accusing finger at Newt. “Or do you just get off on insulting and degrading me in front of our peers?”

Newt threw her arms up. “Dude, it’s a display of affection, not this big-ass deal you’re making it out to be! You called me a ‘kaiju groupie’ in front of Tendo the other day! He hasn’t stopped asking me if the songs I’ve been writing are in ode to my ‘scaley idols’. You know he’s a gossip. He’s probably already spread it around LOCCENT.”

“You calling me ‘Hermie’ isn’t any sort of affection. It’s just…”

Newt frowned, watching Hermann’s tight shoulders sag. 

“You choose to call yourself ‘Newt’. I choose to use my title while in public. It isn’t gendered. It helps me feel… better about myself. Calling me by a term for hermaphrodites not only gives away more about my personal life than I ever care to share, but it also reduces the respect we’ve both worked so hard to garner in our fields. I had hoped you of all people would understand that.” 

Well, fuck her in the ass. Newt knew the resigned expression on Hermann’s face. She hadn’t just pissed Hermann off, she’d thrown all boundaries to the wind and hit them below the belt. Usually she didn’t fuck things up this badly until Friday poker nights. Guilt hit her like a sack of bricks. 

“Hey, I…” Newt reached out to touch Hermann’s shoulder, stopping short. “Can I touch you?” 

They flinched in response but nodded slowly. 

“I don’t need your pity.” 

“It’s not pity,” Newt argued. She rubbed Hermann’s shoulder with her thumb, taking comfort in the soft scratch of their wool cardigan. “We’ve known each other for years, dude. For better or for worse, you know me better than anyone. I messed up. You’re right, and I’ll try my best not to call you that again.” 

Hermann’s averted eyes caught Newt’s, and they opened their mouth. Newt shook her head to stop them. 

“I can’t promise I won’t ever mess up, but I’ll try to stick to just Hermann.” She smiled at Hermann’s immediate frown. “You can’t expect me to learn in a day.”

Hermann raised a brow, the edge of their mouth turning up. “Bullocks. You have six doctorates. I’m sure you could grasp a concept in a day’s time.”

“Maybe,” Newt conceded, “but anything involving you takes years for me to even vaguely catch on to. It only took us half a decade to figure us out. And besides, I like th”

“I’ll never figure you out, Newt,” Hermann snorted.

“Hey! You called me Newt-- That’s cause for a celebration! Let me take you out tonight. I’ll make it up to you over dinner, and we can celebrate by visiting that tea shop you like. I mean, it’s only bland leaf water, but I can probably bear it for you.” 

“You’re dreadful.” Hermann took Newt’s hands and inspected one with interest. “However, I suppose I could begin to forgive you over dinner… so long as you do my nails before we go out. I rather like the shade you’ve chosen today.” 

“Hell yeah, Her-- Hermann. I can totally do that for you, definitely. Yeah.” 

Hermann rolled their eyes and tugged Newt closer. 

“Come here, you oaf.”


End file.
